Should you upgrade to Windows 10?

With the release of Windows 10 scheduled for July 29, many companies and domestic users will be wondering whether they should upgrade or not, and with Microsoft offering a free upgrade for existing Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users, many may be tempted.

So should you or your company upgrade to Windows 10?

In the short-term, the answer is likely to be no. Although Windows 10 has undergone extensive testing, once released to the world there are sure to be bugs and issues that will need to be addressed that haven’t been previously identified.

So once the dust has settled and the issues have been resolved, what then? Well that depends on how you currently use Windows.

For domestic users who are already using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, the improved performance and security will appeal and the inclusion of DirectX 12 will be of benefit for gamers looking for additional performance and functionality, but for business users, the decision isn’t quite so clear cut.

The offer of a free upgrade may tempt some businesses but with Microsoft continuing to provide security updates for Windows 7 until January 2020 and Windows 7 being compatible with companies’ existing systems and apps, the maxim of if it ain’t broke… may well apply.

Windows 10 will be released on July 29 and will provide improved performance and security over previous versions of Windows

For Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users, Windows 10 is free for the first year after the release date

After the first year, Windows 10 Home will cost £78 and Windows 10 Pro will cost £131

Windows 10 will include Cortana, a voice-controlled ‘assistant’ similar to Siri voice-control in Apple devices

The new default internet browser is named Edge and will use also use Cortana, though Internet Explorer 11 will still be available for backward compatibility

The Start button and menu, that were removed in Windows 8 and contributed to its lack of adoption, will return in Windows 10

New versions of Office are due to be released with Office for Windows 10 for tablets and phones and Office 2016 for desktop and laptop PCs